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Louisville is contributing to cycling movement

By June 30, Louisville Metro plans to complete bike lane markings on 15 miles of street, connecting cyclists from neighborhoods to shopping and entertainment destinations. They're called "bicycle boulevards" elsewhere, but Louisville Metro has dubbed its program the Neighborways initiative.

Old Bikes Belong owner Michael Carroll, inside his bike shop on Preston Highway that he opened in Aug. of 2011. "While cycling has been a love of mine the past few years, in 2007 I was massively overweight at 315 pounds," Carroll said. "A bike was a huge part of my life in losing 125 pounds. Helping others pick up the sport for either recreation, commuting, or exercise has become a passion of mine." March 26, 2014(Photo: Alton Strupp/The Courier-Journal)Buy Photo

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By June 30, Louisville Metro plans to complete bike lane markings on 15 miles of street.

Neighborways initiative includes Germantown routes between the Highlands and Belknap campus.

A cheap bike changed Michael Carroll's life. Now he sells new and used bikes to help change yours.

A Leitchfield native, Carroll said he weighed 325 pounds when he began studying engineering at the University of Louisville five years ago. Then he began cycling around the Belknap campus. He lost 125 pounds along the way, and graduated with a bachelor's degree in business before opening his Preston Highway bike shop two years ago.

Carroll's shop, Old Bikes Belong, is stocked with new and used bikes. The goal is to help more people get in shape and join Louisville's growing cycling movement, he said.

"I grew up in a small town in Kentucky, and I was very overweight, maxed out around 325 at 18 or 19 years old," said Carroll, 25. "I bought a really cheap bike and loved it. I was almost too heavy to be on a bike originally. After I started losing a little bit of weight, I really got into it. From there, it was more and more bikes, and now I have hundreds."

As spring weather arrives, expect to see more cyclists on the road. Louisville is becoming increasingly bike friendly, experts say, pointing to a growing local interest in the pastime and more places to go biking.

There's an increase in cycling events, more bikes on the road and more bike lanes — all a sign that the sport is becoming more mainstream, said Rolf Eisinger, a Louisville Metro engineering technician who focuses on building the city's bicycling infrastructure.

Dirk Gowin and Rolf Eisinger share some plans for the Louisville bike network being updated and advanced through the metro area.

By June 30, Louisville Metro plans to complete bike lane markings on 15 miles of street, connecting cyclists from neighborhoods to shopping and entertainment destinations, Eisinger said. They're called "bicycle boulevards" elsewhere, but Louisville Metro has dubbed its program the Neighborways initiative.

In lieu of more expensive bike lanes, the city's goal by 2015 is to mark 100 miles on local streets with small bicycle icons stenciled on the pavement and posted signs to mark routes. Areas being targeted for the Neighborways program include Germantown routes that identify paths between the Highlands and U of L's Belknap campus, he said.

"Germantown is like the Bermuda triangle. You get in there and you can't figure out how to get out," Eisinger said. "We have identified roads that have low traffic and low speeds but still provide connectivity."

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The store front at Old Bikes Belong owned by Michael Carroll on the Preston Highway. March 26, 2014(Photo: Alton Strupp/The Courier-Journal)

Many people want to bike, but their No. 1 fear is safety, Eisinger said. "National studies show that 60 percent of people are interested, but may be concerned about safety while riding," he said. "We are trying to target that 60 percent, that big piece of the pie that may have a soft spot for bikes."

Andy Murphy, a former United Auto Workers member who is president of the 1,243-member cycling club, discovered cycling after retiring at age 51 six years ago from Ford's Louisville Assembly Plant.

"It is so cool to see somebody dust off their bike and bring it out of the garage," Murphy said. "It is a great way to get around. People just want to get out there and ride."

Katie McBride, 39, has been "car free," riding her bike exclusively for transportation in Louisville since 2007. Looking for her own kind, McBride began organizing monthly "Louisville Car Free Happy Hour" gatherings at restaurants around town in 2010. Since then, she has seen bike racks come to TARC buses and more acceptance of cyclists.

Louisville's biggest challenge to cycling is speeding motorists, said McBride, who lives in Clifton and believes that getting information out to cyclists about safer routes will help the lifestyle grow.

"I got a lot of strange looks when I first started riding here," she said. "I see a lot more energy and excitement for cycling now."

Jere Downs can be reached at (502) 582-4669, Jere Downs on Facebook and @Jeredowns on Twitter.